Display apparatus



H. TAS.

DISPLAY APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE H, 1919- 9 1,330,991. Patented Feb. 17,19-0.

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DISPLAY APPARATUS.

APPLICATION r1150 JUNE 11, 1919.

Patented Feb. 17, 1920.

HERMAN was, or LONDON, ENGLAND.

DISPLAY APPARATUS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 17, 1920.

Application filed June 11, 1919. Serial No. 303,407.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, HERMAN TAs, a subject of Her Majesty the Queen of Holland, and resident of New Oxford street, 1n the county of London, Kingdom of England, have invented certain new and useful I mprovements in Display Apparatus, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to apparatus for displaying advertisements or other information, and refers more particularly to the class of automatic apparatus in which the matter to be displayed is arranged inclips or slides carried byendless traveling chains or bands which travel in a sinuous path.

The present invention consists in certain improvements in the construction,combination-and arrangement of the parts of the apparatus, which improvements have for their object to enable advertising or other matter of various sizes to be displayed and said matter to be easily and quickly changed, and to generally improve the operation, appearance, durability and efficiency of the ap 2 5 paratus as a whole.

The invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which Figure l is a front elevation showing a suitable manner of carrying out the invention in the form ofapparatus for automatically changing and displaying a large number of advertisements or other information successively,

Fig. 2 is a side view of said apparatus;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged detailv side elevation of a portion of one of the chains,

Fig. 4L is an enlarged detail edge elevation of said chain portion;

Fig. 5 is an enlarged detail side elevation of one of the resilient spindle bearings;

. Fig. 6 is an enlarged detail perspective view largely diagrammatic, of a modified form of illuminating device for the apparatus.

Thus,.in carrying out the invention inaccordance with the construction shown in the drawings the improved apparatus comprises a built-up metal frame 7prov1ded w thbearings 8 and 9 in whichthe ends of splndles each carrying a pair ofstar wheels 10 are rotatably mounted. Two spaced endless chains 11 are arranged to pass up and down sinuously over the wheels 10 and within the frame 7 several times. The chains 11 consist of elongated links 12 jointed to one another at their ends, and they carry pairs of upper and lower clips or slide bars 13 between which cards or plates 14:, strips or the like hearing the advertising or other matter to be displayed are adapted to be changeably and removably held. According to one feature of the invention means are provided whereby the bars 13 can be adjusted relatively to one another upon and between the links 12 to enable cards, plates, strips or other members of different widths or heights to be accommodated between said bars, and either or both of the bars of each cooperating pair of the same may be adapted to be adjusted. For this purpose, and in the construction shown in the drawings, the links 12 are longitudinally slotted at 15 and the ends of the lower bars 13' are provided with screw threaded pins 16 which extend through the slots and are fitted with washers and nuts 17. By these means the lower bars 13 can be adjusted up and down upon the chains ll relatively to the upper bars, the latter being shown as permanently riveted to the links 12. If desired, however, the upper bars may be adjustable instead of, or as well as, the lower bars. The cards, plates or strips 1% bearing the advertising or other matter to be displayed can be easily and quickly slipped into place between the pairs of bars 13 at one or both ends of the latter.

According to another feature of the invention the chains 11 are fitted with pins 18 at the pivots of the links 12 thereof, and said pins are arranged to engage within forked ends 19 formed on the arms of the star wheels 10 and provide a steady, positive and strong drive between the wheels and chains without fear of slipping of the latter on the wheels and with a minimum of friction.

The chains 11 are driven in unison by means of an electric motor indicated at 20, or by any other suitable prime mover, through a mechanism indicated at 20, and a chain 21 meshing with a sprocket wheel 22 on the spindle of the motor and with a similar wheel secured on the spindle of one of the pairs of wheels 10, preferably one of the uppermost pairs as shown. The front runs of the chains 11 are maintained taut and pressed slightly forward by means of upper and lower pairs of rotatable guide rollers 23 carried by brackets 24 rigidly secured to or formed upon the frame 7, and said rollers also serve to relieve the upper and lower front star wheels of excessive strain as the chains 11 leave the ends 1 9 of the upper wheel and engage those of the lower wheel, or vice versa according to the direction of movement of said chains. The drive of the chains 11 may be continuous or intermittent according to requirements, and if intermittent the drive would be controlled by any known or convenient form of time switch or other equivalent mechanism so as to automatically change the advertising or other matter appearing at the front of the apparatus at any desired time or at definite intervals.

According to still another feature of the invention two or more bearings for the spindles of the star wheels 10 may be spring mounted to keep the chains 11 taut and in correct running engagement with the wheels 10, and to prevent undue strain upon and breakage of said chains. In the construction shown in Figs. 2 and 5 the bearings 9 are mounted to slide upwardly, against the compression of springs 25, upon vertical bolts 26 secured to the cross bars 27 of the main frame carrying said bearings. It will be appreciated that the action of the springs can be adjusted by screwing the bolts 26 downward or upward. Y

Particularly for night use the apparatus can be illuminated by one or more electric, gas or other lamps. Preferably electric lamps of difierent colors and adapted to be automatically and periodically changed, synchronously or not with the movements of the chains 11, would be used. 28 in Figs. 1 and 2 represents diagrammatically a multiple switch included in the circuit of six sets of electric lamps 29 of three colors, say red, white and blue successively arranged in each set and driven through sprocket wheels 30 and a chain 31 from the spindle of one of the pairs of star wheels 10. The switch or other device for controlling the lights may be of any known or convenient type. In an alternative arrangement the three pairs of sets of lamps 29 may be replaced or assisted by three or any other suitable number of polyhedral bodies such as 32 consisting of a frame 33 carrying plates or strips 34 of differently colored glass or other transparent or translucent material, said bodies being each mounted to rotate around one or more stationary tubular; or other electric lamps and driven from one or more of the spindles of the star wheels 10 through sprocket, toothed or other suitable gearing. With this arrangement the provision of a switch for automatically switching on and oif certain of the lamps within the bodies 32 would not be required owing to the rotation of the latter. A linen or other screen 35 is preferably arranged in front of the illuminating devices to diffuse the light therefrom and enhance the appearance of the apparatus. Of course, when the advertisements or other If desired lengths of chains constructed similarly to the chains 11 described above may be applied to stationary apparatus, frames or boards for displaying advertisements and like matter, that is, Y the apparatus may be such that the chains arefnot moved but the cards, plates or the like carried thereby are simply changed as and when desired.

The apparatus may be mounted within any suitable form of cabinet or casing provided with one or more glazed windows or doors behind which the advertising or other matter is adapted to appear.

What I claim is p 1. Apparatus for displaying advertisements or other information comprising chains or bands, pivots connecting the links of said, chains, pins projecting from said pivots, wheels having ends to engage. said pins to impart travel to said chains or bands, and bars adapted to support changeable cards, plates, strips or the like bearing the advertising or other matter, and carried by and adjustable upon said chains or bands.

2. Apparatus for displaying advertisements or other information, comprising chains or bands formed of pivotally con nected links, pins extending from the pivots, means engaging said. pins to move said chains or bands, longitudinal slots formed in said links, and bars carried by said chains or bands and adapted to support between them changeable plates, strips or the like bearing the advertising or other matter, certain or all of said bars having their ends secured to said slotted links in such mannor that they can be adjusted longitudinally thereon.

' 3. Apparatus for displaying advertisements or other information, comprising endless traveling chains or bands, bars adapted to support changeable cards, plates, strips or the like bearing the advertising or other matter, and carried by and adjustable upon said chains or bands, rotatably mounted star wheels the ends of the arms of which are forked, and. pins formed with the pivots carried by, the chains or bands and adapted to engage within said forked ends.

4. Apparatus for displaying advertisements or other information, comprising endless traveling chains or bands formed of pivotally connected links, longitudinal slots formed in said links, bars carried by said chains or bands andadapted to support between them changeable plates, strips or the like bearing the advertising or other matter, certain or all of said bars having their ends secured to said slotted links in such manner that they can be adjusted longitudinally thereon, rotatably mounted star wheels the ends of the arms of which are forked, and pins carried by the pivots of the links and adapted to engage Within said forked ends.

5. Apparatus for displaying advertisements or other information, comprising endless traveling chains or bands, bars adapted to support changeable cards, plates, strips or the like bearing the advertising or other matter, and carried by and adjustable upon said chains or bands, star wheels rotatably supported by spring mounted bearings and having arms the ends of which are forked, and pins carried by the chains or bands and adapted to engage within said forked ends.

6. A display apparatus consisting of a frame, an endless chain mounted in said frame, mechanism for driving said chain, adjustable cross-bars carried by said chain and formed with clips to secure display matter, and display illuminating means operated directly from the chain by the travel thereof.

7. A display apparatus consisting of a frame, an endless chain mounted therein, and consisting of slotted links, cross bars adjustable in said links, clips carried by said cross bars to retain display matter, pins extending from the pivots of said links, star wheels having forked ends, to engage said pins, and means for imparting travel to said chains.

8. A display apparatus including a frame, endless chains movably supported thereby, and formed of slotted links, supporting members adjustably secured in the links and having opposing clips formed thereon adapted to support display matter and means for moving the chains.

9. A display apparatus including a frame, endless chains movably supported thereby and formed of slotted links, supporting members adjustably secured in the links for supporting display matter, means for moving the chains, illuminating means carried bythe frame behind the matter being displayed and a screen interposed between the illuminating means and the matter being displayed for diffusing the light.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto signed my name.

HERMAN TAS. 

